User:Abyssal/Portal:Salamanders

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

The Salamander Portal

Introduction

Read more...

Selected article on salamanders

The olm or proteus (Proteus anguinus) is an aquatic salamander in the family Proteidae, the only cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe. In contrast to most amphibians, it is entirely aquatic; it eats, sleeps, and breeds underwater. Living in caves found in the Dinaric Alps, it is endemic to the waters that flow underground through extensive limestone of karst of Central and Southeastern Europe, specifically southern Slovenia, the Soča river basin near Trieste, Italy, southwestern Croatia, and Herzegovina.

This animal is most notable for its adaptations to a life of complete darkness in its underground habitat. The olm's eyes are undeveloped, leaving it blind, while its other senses, particularly those of smell and hearing, are acutely developed. It also lacks any pigmentation in its skin. It has three toes on its forelimbs, but only two toes on its hind feet. It also exhibits neoteny, retaining larval characteristics like external gills into adulthood, like the American amphibians, the axolotl and the mudpuppy. The olm is the only species in the Proteus genus, the only European species of the Proteidae family. It was first mentioned in 1689 by the local naturalist Valvasor in his Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, who reported that, after heavy rains, the olms were washed up from the underground waters and made local people believe that they saw a cave dragon's offspring. (see more...)

More articles...

edit

Selected image

A fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra.
Photo credit: Didier Descouens

More pictures...

Need help?

Do you have a question about Abyssal/Portal:Salamanders that you can't find the answer to?

Consider asking it at the Wikipedia reference desk.

edit

Did you know?

... that the red-cheeked salamander, which is distasteful to predators, is mimicked by the harmless imitator salamander?
... that the Black Salamander may defend itself by biting a western garter snake attacking it?
... that the Carpathian newt sometimes hybridises with the smooth newt?
... that the female Black Mountain Salamander broods her eggs?
...that the Eastern Newt changes its skin colour from bright red to olive green when it becomes an adult, and is known as the red eft before adulthood?

... that the largest amphibian in the world is the Chinese giant salamander (pictured)?
... that the clouded salamander stayed at home in Oregon while the wandering salamander travelled by bark from California to Vancouver Island?
... that the Pyrenean brook salamander sometimes lives entirely underground in caves?
...that the Iberian Ribbed Newt's ability to keep live sperm in its cloaca for up to 5 months was a reason it was chosen to be flown into space?
... that the golden thorius, with a total length of 57 millimetres (2.2 in), is one of the largest species of Mexican pigmy salamanders?

More DYKs...

edit

Topics

Families - Cryptobranchidae - Hynobiidae - Ambystomatidae - Amphiumidae - Dicamptodontidae - Plethodontidae - Proteidae - Rhyacotritonidae - Salamandridae - Sirenidae

edit